At renewal in October 2024, the management committee considered a range of alternative quotations and providers for our Guild insurances. We opted to take out a new combined liability insurance with Ecclesiastical Insurance.
Key Information
Liability Insurance
- Guild liability insurance only covers members taking part in Guild (or district) events.
At a Guild or District practice or event any damage or injury caused directly as a result of a member’s negligence should be covered by the Guild’s insurance policy (subject to the terms of the policy).
Most of the risks in a bellringing situation are more likely to fall on the PCC/building owner, and they should hold liability insurance for this. The Guild is insured for incidents which occur at Guild/District meetings and practices and training events. Even then the incident may not be their fault (e.g. accident due to poor maintenance).
We need to think of it in terms of risk and ownership of that risk. For example:
- Someone falls down the tower steps because they are worn and the handrail is inadequate. The PCC/building owner has a duty of care to people coming into the building, even trespassers, to ensure that it safe. Therefore they should hold both Public Liability and Employers Liability Insurance to cover the risk to their staff and to any visitors.
- Someone is electrocuted by a faulty appliance or wiring – ditto
- The steeple-keeper injures themselves because they have not been provided with adequate training, and/or tools or PPE. Even if they are a volunteer, the Employer (the PCC) has duties to provide a safe system of work etc. under the Health and Safety at Work Act.
Personal Accident Insurance
- In the event of a Personal Accident claim the Guild would be the beneficiary rather than the injured person (however it is generally understood that that any monies from a successful claim would be made available to the member or their surviving family).
Link to policy doc – https://www.ecclesiastical.com/documents/charity-and-community-summary-010424.pdf
Download the HDGB Policy Schedule here: HDGB Insurance Policy schedule